Warships of the Soviet Fleets, 1939–1945 (Hardback)
Volume II Escorts and Smaller Fighting Ships
Pages: 304
Illustrations: 250 line and halftones
ISBN: 9781399022774
Published: 12th December 2022
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Seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War the details of Soviet ships, their activities and fates remain an enigma to the West. In wartime such information was classified and after a brief period of glasnost (‘openness’) the Russian state has again restricted access to historical archives. Therefore, the value – and originality – of this work is difficult to exaggerate. It sees the first publication of reliable data on both the seagoing fleets and riverine flotillas of the Soviet Navy, listing over 6200 vessels from battleships to river gunboats, and mercantile conversions as well as purpose-built warships.
This second part of the three-volume series includes all the remaining fighting vessels not already covered in Volume I. Beginning with the Uragan class – rated as Escort Ships and the first seagoing warships designed by the Soviet Union – the book then moves on to Submarine Hunters, both large and small, Patrol craft, Minelayers and Minesweepers, and unusual types like Floating Artillery Batteries and Anti-Aircraft Defence Ships, concluding with Landing Ships and Craft. Many of these vessels have hitherto been poorly documented but given the nature of the land-centred Soviet war against Germany their contribution should not be underestimated. The details of their service and, not least, the circumstances of their loss, constitute a major addition to Western understanding of the Soviet Navy’s war effort.
This is undoubtedly one of the most important naval reference works of recent years and will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in warships, the Soviet Navy or wider maritime aspects of the Second World War. Furthermore, as recent Russian actions appear to revive Soviet-era aspirations, this book offers both new insights and valuable background of contemporary relevance.
"...this collection of volumes is likely to be the definitive exposition of the Soviet fleets and their warships during the Great Patriotic War for the foreseeable future. The authors have set an extremely high bar for future researchers in this field."
Nautical Research Journal - Volume 69 (2024)
This detailed survey of Soviet warships during WWII provides a fascinating insight into the state of soviet shipbuilding, and an indication of the general situation in the country. It is highly recommended!
Les Brown, Small Warships
As featured on The Naval Review
Naval Review
This is the second volume of three in a series on Soviet naval vessels in the Second World War. And the three Polish authors have found a unique and until recently unexplored subject in the English language publishing world. Under the Soviet governments in power until 1991, this information was classified and virtually little was known about Russian naval vessels during the Second World War. This particular volume is on the more obscure smaller fighting ships such as escorts and patrol boats. The first volume is on major combatants and the third volume is on naval auxiliaries.
Todd Shugart - Aviation News
The book begins with a alphabetical acronym list carried by Soviet ships. Then it is straight into the classes of ships covered in this book. First up are the Escort Ships, followed by the Large Submarine Hunters, then Small Submarine Hunters, Patrol Boats, Floating Artillery Batteries, AA Defence Ships, MInelayers, Netlayers, Minesweepers, Minesweeping Boats, and finally Landing Vessels and Craft. There is a very useful index at the end as well. There are hundreds of unique and fascinating photographs to accompany the tables of information for each class and specific ship or craft. The line drawings of many of the ships are rich in detail and offer a scale modeller useful information. What this reviewer found even more interesting is that for each ship or craft listed it also has a remarks section detailing the ultimate fate of that particular vessel. The photo captions and the encyclopaedic format are well researched and presented. The inside covers have full two-page spreads on Soviet main naval bases and Soviet shipbuilding facilities during World War Two.
This is the go to set of references on Soviet naval vessels from World War Two. The easy to use format and the level of detail shown by these three authors is phenomenal. This is a somewhat larger format book which is necessitated by the tabular format of numerous ships and craft listed. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Soviet naval history or in the maritime modelling community.
This book is extremely valuable in understanding Soviet and Russian thinking on strategy and operations. It has considerable merit because of the depth of research and analysis provided by writers, who because of their Russian language skills, contacts and access to some official papers have been able to provide an accurate, balanced and unique view of the Soviet Navy. The book also provides background and insights to inform an understanding of the nature and purpose of the current Russian Navy. I strongly recommend this book and the three volume series to all those with an interest in international, naval and maritime affairs. It also has application for those with an interest in global and regional strategic issues.
Australian Naval Institute
Read the review here
A fantastic book that will delight those who have an interest in the Soviet Navy, and I imagine the book would be good for model collectors or makers.
The History Fella
Read the Full Review Here
For those interested in warship history this is a reference that deserves to be on your reference shelf.
Military Model Scene
Read the Full Review Here
These two volumes are undoubtedly going to become the reference work on the technical aspects of the vessels in the Soviet Union’s Navy. The detail they
Dr Stuart C Blank, Military Archive Research
contain is impressive and the authors must be commended for their efforts. Anyone interested in the Soviet Navy for the 1939-1945 period ought to obtain these volumes.
Volume II - Escorts and Smaller Fighting Ships - continues the epic research task the authors have set for themselves, including vessels varying in size from 6,350 tons/104m down to 15.5 tons/14.6m. The types of ships are identified as Escort Ships, Submarine Hunters, Patrol Boats, Floating Artillery Batteries, AA Defence Ships, Minelayers, Netlayers, Minesweepers and Landing Vessels. The groups includes Soviet built vessels, lend-lease vessels, war prizes and conversions. The vessels are identified by name and builder, and dates built, commissioned or converted. Wherever possible, more information is supplied including drawings and technical data, and some information on their careers and fates. The book is well illustrated with black-and-white photographs throughout. Hundreds of vessels are featured and illustrates well the involvement of the Russian/Soviet navy in the war effort, and the many difficulties faced, both by the navy and the shipbuilding industry.
International Plastic Modellers Society, Newsletter of the Small Warship Special Interest Group – Issue 140, March 2023
About Przemyslaw Budzbon
THE AUTHORS grew up in Poland under Soviet domination and were forced to learn Russian, which guaranteed a profound understanding of Soviet-Russian thinking and the smallest nuances of its history. Their experience is varied but pertinent: Przemyslaw Budzbon worked closely with officers of the Soviet Navy for a dozen years, as a constructor of Soviet warships; Marek Twardowski, a curator at the Polish National Maritime Museum, has an outstanding background in professional maritime history; while Jan Radziemski, thanks to a wide network of contacts among historians and maritime enthusiasts in Russia, was able to reach information and sources unavailable to official researchers.
About Jan Radziemski
THE AUTHORS grew up in Poland under Soviet domination and were forced to learn Russian, which guaranteed a profound understanding of Soviet-Russian thinking and the smallest nuances of its history. Their experience is varied but pertinent: Przemyslaw Budzbon worked closely with officers of the Soviet Navy for a dozen years, as a constructor of Soviet warships; Marek Twardowski, a curator at the Polish National Maritime Museum, has an outstanding background in professional maritime history; while Jan Radziemski, thanks to a wide network of contacts among historians and maritime enthusiasts in Russia, was able to reach information and sources unavailable to official researchers.
About Marek Twardowski
THE AUTHORS grew up in Poland under Soviet domination and were forced to learn Russian, which guaranteed a profound understanding of Soviet-Russian thinking and the smallest nuances of its history. Their experience is varied but pertinent: Przemyslaw Budzbon worked closely with officers of the Soviet Navy for a dozen years, as a constructor of Soviet warships; Marek Twardowski, a curator at the Polish National Maritime Museum, has an outstanding background in professional maritime history; while Jan Radziemski, thanks to a wide network of contacts among historians and maritime enthusiasts in Russia, was able to reach information and sources unavailable to official researchers.
Warships of the Soviet Fleets 1939–1945 Volume 1: Major Combatants (Hardback)
Seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War the details of Soviet ships, their activities and fates remain an enigma to the West. In wartime such information was classified and after a brief period of glasnost (‘openness’) the Russian state has again restricted access to historical archives. Therefore, the value – and originality – of this work is difficult to exaggerate. It sees the first publication of reliable data on both the seagoing fleets and riverine flotillas of the Soviet Navy, listing over 6200 vessels from battleships to river gunboats, and mercantile conversions…
By Przemyslaw Budzbon, Jan Radziemski, Marek TwardowskiClick here to buy both titles for £67.50
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